


This is Home

by norwegianecho



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, this trade is killing me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:34:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22155427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norwegianecho/pseuds/norwegianecho
Summary: Six weeks. That’s how long Emily had known for. She played off the heartbreak by hiding in Atlanta, brushing off the questions from her friends in Portland by saying that Emma demanded they spend more time together in the off-season. She knew she couldn’t keep it a secret forever, but figured that she would let the holidays pass before dropping a bomb on everyone.
Relationships: Lindsey Horan/Emily Sonnett
Comments: 13
Kudos: 93





	This is Home

**Author's Note:**

> So this Orlando trade (rumor?) is tearing me apart. I decided to write this. Please forgive me, I've never published anything I've written before and I wrote this instead of studying for a calc test AND didn't edit it so it's probably trash.

Emily sinks back into the soft hotel pillows, pushing her airpods deeper into her ears. She was thrilled to find out that she was rooming with Mal, but the excitement had faded after listening to her two-hour facetime session with her boyfriend. As Mal rambles on about how much warmer Tampa is than Denver, Emily tries her hardest to get lost in her new January 2020 playlist. Normally, Mal’s chatter wouldn’t bother her as much (normally, she’d be off joking around with her teammates), but there was nothing normal about today.

\---

Six weeks. That’s how long Emily had known for. She played off the heartbreak by hiding in Atlanta, brushing off the questions from her friends in Portland by saying that Emma demanded they spend more time together in the off-season. She knew she couldn’t keep it a secret forever, but figured that she would let the holidays pass before dropping a bomb on everyone.

Of course, Kelley knew. Kelley could read her like a book. It took all of two seconds after Emily showed up at her door for Kelley to sit her down and demand to know what was going on.

When Emily broke down into tears, Kelley pulled her into a soft hug, whispering “it’ll all work out” into the top of her head.

“I haven’t told her yet,” Emily choked out.

Kelley looked at her with sad eyes. “You’re Sonnett and Lindsey. You guys will be ok, no matter what team you’re playing for.”

Emily didn’t have the strength to argue back. She just let Kelley play with her hair until she drifted to sleep on the couch.

\---

Now, all Emily wanted was to be back in Georgia, watching old Christmas movies as Kelley brought her hot chocolate and told her stupid jokes that made her forget all about Orlando. Instead, she was sitting in her hotel room, hiding from some of her best friends in the world. She considered going to find Kelley but knew that Allie would start asking questions. Emily was sure she couldn’t handle anyone else right now.

Emily and Lindsey had barely talked throughout the first two days of camp. She knew it was two-sided, not wanting to talk to her about being traded and Lindsey not wanting to say anything about Russell.

_Russell._ The other reason Emily hid in Atlanta for weeks.

After the World Cup, Emily was on such a high. When they got back to Portland, Lindsey and Emily were practically attached at the hip. For the millionth time, Emily found herself getting too close. She shamelessly flirted at every given opportunity She let every touch between them linger for far too long to be platonic. Lindsey stayed at her place every night after long movie marathons or late games, claiming to be too tired to drive home. When she said the blankets on the couch weren’t warm enough, Emily was all too eager to offer up her bed. In the past, she had barely allowed herself to consider the possibility of being with Lindsey. Now, as Emily listened to Lindsey’s soft breaths hitting the back of her neck, her arm draped around her waist, she thought something had finally changed.

Of course, it was too good to be true. When the Thorns were eliminated from the playoffs and Lindsey went back to Denver for a bit, Emily should have seen it coming.

Emily didn’t leave her apartment for three days after Mark called her and broke the news about the trade. She barely got out of bed, save the trips to the kitchen to make more coffee. When she finally mustered up the courage to facetime Lindsey, she was greeted with Russell staring back at her. Lindsey grabbed her phone, looking guilty, but the damage had been done. Emily quickly told a lie about going to the gym and hung up, breaking down again for the hundredth time that week.

A soft tapping at the door knocks Emily out of her thoughts and back into reality. She glances over at Mal, who makes no move to interrupt her conversation with Dansby. Emily sighs and pauses her music, dragging herself out of bed to get the door.

Much to her surprise, Emily opens the door to a teary-eyed Lindsey.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“What?” Emily manages to sputter.

“You know what. How long have you known?”

_Shit._ Emily had been too scared to check twitter all day, knowing that the Thorns planned to release their trade information with Orlando a few hours ago. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the announcement, as that would make everything too real for her.

“Sonny, please.”

Lindsey’s desperate tone snaps her out of her thoughts once again. Emily manages to lift her head to look at Lindsey, which proves to be a huge mistake. Her eyes were watery and red around the edges, but so, so blue. She could get lost in Lindsey’s eyes for hours.

She looks for an explanation that won’t come. “I couldn’t tell you, Linds. It hurt too much,” she finally admits.

Suddenly aware of Mal staring curiously at them from her bed, Lindsey pulls Emily out into the hallway, mumbling “let’s take a walk.”

They ride the elevator to the lobby in silence, save for Lindsey’s sniffling. Emily feels completely numb.

Emily follows Lindsey out into the streets of Tampa, heart racing in her chest. Finally, after walking for what feels like hours, Lindsey abruptly comes to a halt, dragging Emily to a nearby bench.

Lindsey takes a deep breath. “Let’s try this again. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Emily stares at the cracks in the sidewalk, feeling like Lindsey didn’t realize her original answer was as honest as she could be. “I tried, Linds. Russell answered the phone and I panicked and hung up and then I thought it wouldn’t even matter to you because you were with him and I just…” Emily trails off, unsure of what to say.

“Why would it matter that I was with him? You’re my best friend, Sonny.” Lindsey says softly.

In a sudden rush of bravery, Emily whispers, “You’re more than a friend to me, Linds.”

Silence. Emily looks up, worried she said too much. Lindsey is staring at her, mouth slightly open, her face unreadable. For a moment, Emily wonders if she should get up and walk back, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot for fucking up everything they had.

When instead Lindsey leans forward and brushes their lips together, Emily’s mind goes completely blank. As Lindsey pulls away, Emily links their fingers together and leans in closer.

All Emily can think about is how much kissing Lindsey feels like home.

After what feels like a second and a day all wrapped into one, they pull apart. Emily is sure Lindsey can hear how fast her heart is beating, can tell how long she’s been waiting for this.

The first coherent thought that Emily has is _Russell. Fuck._ “What about Russell?” She blurts out before she can stop herself.

“I broke up with him right before camp. Said that we could revisit things once the Olympic qualifiers were over. I want to focus on making the team, not him,” Lindsey explains.

Though she thinks she probably shouldn’t, Emily smiles. However, her smile quickly fades when she realizes how this all started. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers. “I should have told you about Orlando. I just can’t stand the thought of leaving you. I don’t want to live across the country and play against you. We were supposed to be a package deal.”

Lindsey’s face falls as she processes what Emily is saying. “Em, we’ll work it out. You’re my Sonny, that’s never going to change, even if you’re wearing purple.”

Emily sighs and leans her head against Lindsey’s shoulder. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

Lindsey leans her head down to capture Emily’s lips in her own. The last thing Emily thinks is that all she wants to do right now is kiss Lindsey until she forgets Orlando exists. They can deal with the rest in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said I wrote this in an hour I hope you kept your expectations low. You can find me on tumblr @thatgirlwholikessking (main) or @lazyliveblogger (sideblog).


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